Spark-plug.



G. L. GOUTBR.

SPARK PLUG. APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1912. v mamw Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

a i g I Q 6162,6021 Z62! inder o the engine, said 1' GEORGE I4. 'COUTER, 03B

CUMBEB/LAND, MARYLAND.

SPhRK PLUG.

Specification of Batters Eateizt.

Patented nee. is, rare.

Apgalicatibn filed. July 17, 191-2. Serial No. 709,981.

To all euhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. COUT'ER, citizen of the United States, residing at Cumbe'rland, in the county of Allegahy and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spark- Plugs, of which the following is a specificatio'n.

This invention relates to spark plugs and has for its primary object the provision 0 means w ereby the terminals may be reed of the carbon deposits whichaccumulate thereon during the operation 0? the engine without stopping the engine or removing the plug there-from.

A secondary ob'ect of the invention is to improve, generally, the construction of Ep'ark' iirahi 'ity of the same may be increased.

The invention is illustrated in the aceomhe hereinafter nar 'deseribed, the novel features being pointed out more particularly in the claims chewin the descri tion.

,In the drawings: 'ure 1 is an elevation s of r ny improved sp'arlr lug Fig. 2 is a cent e same; Fig-i 3 panying drawings and will tral vertical section is a bottoiii pita 'view t erect Fi {i is a detail sctieh-ot thelowermembero t ecasi'ng which ednsa'uaes one terminal of t e phi Fig, 5 is a detail perspective View of e knife or estate.

In carrying out my invention, I eniplo a hustling 1 which has a reduced threade tubular extension 2 adapged to he secured iii an '0' ening provided t erefor in the cyleduced threaded extension being cut away at one side, as indicat d at 3, and havihga lip 4 projecting inwardl opposite said cut-away portion 'to constitu e a terminal. The said bushing 1 forms a grounded connection through the cylinder with the ha tery or magneto generatoi', and the lip 61' rminal a co-ac ts with an inner termi'nal to form a spark gap. The upper outer portion of thebushing 1 is an" lar, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 an 3, i:o itaeilitate its engagemeht a wrench of other to); whenoit a being a ted in the engih'e cylinder; The upper portion ofthe bushin 1s mellow, as shown in Fig. i, and an u p-et metallic body or Sleeveis threaded in o he upper end of tliehushing to constitute' a easing or support tor the inner members of the phitg, lower extremity of this casing as sleeve 5 is threaded, as

lugs to the end that the eiiicienoy and clearly shown in Fig. 2, to en 'a e the u er threaded extremity oi the b'u' shing, am hetweenits ends the said sleeve or casing 5 is provided 4 flange 6 to facilitate its engagement in the bushing. Above the said flange 6, the easing or sleeve 5- is externally threaded, as shown in Fig. 2. v

A sleeve or tubular plug 7 of porcelai or other insulating material is inserte through the casing 5 and the bushing 1, and the said sleeve or tubular plug extends through and slightly heyon'd the reduced extehsion 2 of the bushing, as shown clear in Fi 2. Between its ends, this sleeve 7 is provi "e'd with n annular rib or flange 8 which lies within the 11 per hol ow oi' socketed portion at the budlnng; an above and below the said 1%,1 r'ovide asbestos of ether packing 9 which ls the saw between the said rib and the lower en of the casing 5 and between the said rib an the internal annular sho'u der 10 form in th bushing. When the casing; 5 is t u rn e hoine,

the insulating sleeve w-il he securel clam ed between the ends of t -e same and the sioulder 10 of the bushin readily understood. The sai as will be sleeve is provi ed with a slight annu ar insulating shoulder 11 near lis lower en and w thin thesaid sleeve inserted .th metallic sleeve or tithe-1'2 having an eiilarg'ed lower end or head 13 adapted to fit against the amtula shoulder ll whereby, when the nuts 14- an 15, mounted on the threaded upper extrjeirir ity of the said tube, I

are tur ed home agai st the upper end of the insulhting sleeve, ge tube will be securely clamped within the insulating sleeve. he ma 1a r this metallic tube is constructed with diametri cally opposite longitudina slots or recesses 1'6, and from its lower end epends a small pin or hook 17 constituting the electrode terminal adapted to co-aot wit the lip or electrode 4 to form a spark gap. The nuts 14 and 15 not only serve tosecure the metallic terminal, tuhe 12 above the insula'ti g sleeve, but also form wimp to secure t e end of t is wire or conductor leading to the source of electricity.

Extending through the metallic herminal tube 12 and adapted to reciprocate herein is a rod 18 having its upper threaded extremity '19 projecting above. the tnhe to receive an adjusting nut or ce lar 2'0, hetween which and the end of the tube 12 sa the venient handle or button by which the rod may be actuated against the tensionlofthe spring when'it is desired to clean the electrodes. The lower portion of the rod 18 is enlarged, as shown at 23, and this enlargement fits within an opening or socket provided therefor in the tube 12. Below the enlar ement 23 the rodis flattened and projecteg laterally to form a knife or blade 24 which, in thenormal position of the parts,

will be accommodated in the slots or re: cesses 16, as shown in Fig. 2. The several parts are so arranged that the plane of the said scraper or blade 24 lies between the planes of the terminals 4 and 17, so that,

if the 'rod be projected, it will pass between the said termlnals, as will be readily under- .stood on reference to Fig. 3.

The rod may be pressed downwardly or inwardl against the tension of the spring 21 by the manual application of force to the cap or button 22, but to more conveniently operate the device, I provide an angle lever 25 which has one arm bearing upon the said cap 22, as clearly shown, and its other arm'provided with an opening 26 to permit attachment of a chain or other flexible device 27 which may be carried to any point convenient to the engineer. The angle lever 25 is fulcrumed in the upper end of a standard or post 28 which has its lower end formed into an to fit over the casing 5 and restupon the annular rib 6 thereof and be clamped to said rib by a nut 30 mounted on the threaded upper extremity of the said casing and turned home against the eye or ring, as clearly shown and as will be readily understood.

It is. thought the operation and advantages of the device will be readily understood from the fore oing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawlugs.

It is well known that in the operation of internal combustion engines the electrodes are coated with soot or other carbon deposits, so that, unless the electrodes are frequently cleaned, the engine will operate in a very unsatisfactory manner or not at all.- With my invention, it is not necessary to stop the engine .or remove the plug from the engine cylinder in order to free the electrodes of these deposits, as a few strokes of the blade 24 will effectually clean the electrodes and remove the deposits there'- from without requiring any stoppage of the engine. When pressure is applied to the upper end of the rod 18, the spring 21 eye or ring 29 adaptedwill be compressed and the blade 24 pro jected between the electrodes 4 and 17, as

will be readily understood on reference to Rig. 3, so that the soot or other foreign matter which has collected upon the electrodes and tends prevent the formation of the spark will be efl'ectually broken ofl", so that the electrodes will be clean and all obstructions to the formation of the spark will be destroyed. When the pressure upon the rod is removed, the spring 21 at once expands and returns the same to its initial position. Theslots 16 in the head of the inner terminal tube serve as uides for the blade 24 so that said blade 'wil be maintained in its proper position relative to the electrodes and consequently will be prevented from striking either electrode and consequent damage to the blade or the electrodes is avoided. It will be readily noted that the construction of the several parts ofthe plug is such that,

while the members are securely fastened in their proper relative positions, the plug may be. easily and quickly assembled and disassembled so that the expense of manufacturing" the same and applying it-to the engine will be kept down .to an economical basis.

What I claim is 1. A spark plug comprising a bushing having an electrode formed on its inner end,

a terminal tube disposed within the bushing and having an electrode formed on its lower extremity spaced from the'electrode on the bushing, a blade mounted slidably within the tern inal tube and adapted to be housed and prevented from rotating by said tube, and means for projecting the said blade between the electrodes.

2. A spark plugcomprising an outer electrode, an inner-terminal tube provided at its lower end with an enlarged slotted head and having an electrode depending from the said head, a blade slidably mounted in said'terminal tube and engaging the slots of said head and held against rotation thereby and arranged in a longitudinal plane of the spark plug passing between the opposed adjacent faces of the electrodes, and means for reciprocating the said blade.

3. A spark plug comprising an outer electrode, an inner terminal tube having an enlarged head at its lower end provided with longitudinal slots, and an electrode depending from said head a rod slidably fitted in the said terminal tube and carrying at its loger end a blade engaging the said longitu inal slots, and held against rotation thereby means for holding the sa-idrod'yieldably retracted within the terminal tube, and means acting on the said rod to project the same .whereby the blade will be caused to pass between the electrodes.

the said terminal having an electrode formed on its inner end, an insulating sleeve secured within said bushing, an inner terminal tube secured within the said sleeve and provided with an electrode co-acting with the electrode on'the bushing, a rod slidably fitted within tube, a blade carried by said rod and guided by said tube to be projected between the electrodes, a spring acting upon the rod to hold the same normally retracted, a post supported above the bushing, and an angle lever fulcrumed in said post and bearing upon the slidable rod to project the blade betweenthe electrodes.

5. A spark plug comprising a bushing having an electrode at its inner end, an insulating sleeve fitting within the bushing, said sleeve having an internal annular shoulder near its lower end, a casing secured in the upper end of the bushing and adapted to clamp the insulating sleeve therein, a terminal tube inserted through the insulating sleeve and provided with an internal shoulder, an enlarged head on the lower end of the terminal tube adapted to engage the internal annular shoulder of the insulating sleeve, and provided with longitudinal slots, means on the upper end of the terminal tube to secure the same within the insulating sleeve, a slidable rod mounted within the terminal tube and constructed to engage the internal shoulder of the same, a blade carried by the said rod and having its side edges playing in the slots in the head of the terminal tube, said rod'being adapted to be projected to carry the blade between the terminals, and means acting on the said rod to hold the same normally retracted.

In testimony whereof I aflix myisignature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE L. COUTER. [n s.] Witnesses:

F. BROOKE WRITINGS, WM. F. KERBER. 

